Criminal Offenses - As introduced, creates the criminal offense of intentionally communicating a threat of harm to a public official or a member of the public official's immediate family; punishes a violation as a Class E felony. - Amends TCA Title 39.

HB 2040, introduced in Tennessee, would have created a new Class E felony for intentionally threatening a public official or their immediate family (defined as spouse, parent, sibling, child, or adoptive/step relationships). It required the threat to be communicated with knowledge of the target’s official role, intended as harm due to that role, and perceived as threatening by a reasonable person. The bill aimed to directly affect individuals making such threats against public officials or their families, imposing criminal penalties for these communications. However, the bill was withdrawn on February 2, 2026, and did not advance further.